I’ve found Lorielei a fascinating person. She started out as a character study of a someone set in their ways, reflecting on a rich, fulfilling life, and ready to settle into her closing chapters. What you’ve read so far, is the first draft of a chapter, maybe two. Loriel, Argaron, and company turned into characters with a mission, and now they won’t leave me alone—Loriel in particular. (She has a way of letting her opinion known.) A full outline is forming in my mind, yet to bloom into fruition.

When I get an idea that begins expanding, as this one did, I create detailed profiles beginning with a character sheet. This time, I created Lorielei first. She is the center of the story. Every story needs the sidekick, or mentor, or helper. In this story, that’s Argaron. He is also central to the story, but not the main focus (though his council and actions will affect Loriel’s decisions)

This is how my work-in-progress started. As a character sketch—with a story to tell, though I didn’t know it at the time. In fact, that’s how most of my stories start. They start with a character (or two or three) I find interesting. Later, I follow them around and type merrily along while looking over their shoulders. This is how Loriel and Argaron were created. It’s also how Alterian twins from my version of modern Earth were imagined. They all begin with characters that pop into my head, and hijack me into telling their stories. Not that I’m complaining, mind you.

The story of Lorielei started with the premise of an older person getting the ‘call to adventure’ whether they wanted it or not. Originally, I thought it would be more like someone hitting a mid-life and having a crisis that would know them out of their comfort zone. Oh, no. Instead, I got Lorielei Alterian, and a story set early in the First Era after the Schism that broke the world. My novel is set in the Second Era after the Schism.
Now, a bit of Adaran history.

Lorielei Alterian is a full elf whose brother, Elyon, fell in love with a succession of human women early in the Second Era. The Alterian Family has a rich history in the world of Adaran, but some have found portals to other planes—including a version of Earth I’ve written about in the past.

I set most of my fantasy stories on the continent of Adaran, the only landmass that’s been revealed to me so far. (Though I have ideas of what lies over the seas, I haven’t fleshed them out yet. No one from other places on the planet has introduced themselves… yet.) Chances are, other characters I’ve found will appear at one time or another in a story that has nothing to do with their initial introduction to me. (Yes, I know, I create them, I breathe ‘life’ into them. But, sometimes they bloom a life of their own just by existing in my imagination, so I don’t ask questions, I just run with it.)

I’m taking a break from extra-curricular stories for a few weeks (I ran out of ready to go short stories and character profiles, sorry) while I dive deep into my current novel edit. With summer and other obligations pressing in, I need to balance activities so I can keep researching ways to bring more quality to my stories.

During this break, I’ll post a few reruns from the past.

In the interim, happy reading.